This is Whitey Herzog. Many years ago he taught me there's more than one way to win a championship. He began his time with the Cardinals by dealing the team captain (Ted Simmons) and a player who was beloved in St. Louis. At that time, Simmons did a lot of charity work and in a very real way was the face of the franchise to many in the community.
Why did Dorrel trade Simmons? The Cards were a losing organization and Simmons (while a great hitter) wasn't a good defensive catcher or handler of pitchers. Herzog did a lot more than that one move, but in all the transactions made by Herzog were istrumenal in getting the Cardinals in the WS three times over the next 7 years with a team of speedburners at the plate and in the field (and pitchers who threw strikes).
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Steve Tambellini made his move today, dealing the team captain and a respected member of the community a humbling blow. No professional athlete wants to be paid to leave the premises (and if they do well you're in trouble as an organization) and for the team captain this must have been a very difficult day. I understand the sentiment out there that Moreau's time has come, but this isn't a day to kick a man when he's down. Sail on, Niagra Falls Thunder, and all the best to you.
Robert Nilsson and Patrick O'Sullivan received an early-in-their-career kick in the ass today, a lot like the ones I used to get from my Dad about 35 years ago. I think these two players have excellent chances for career recovery, and O'Sullivan should view this as an extreme opportunity to pick his spot in terms of an NHL home. He has a solid resume, and despite a year of indifference in Edmonton will find a job by the fall.
Nilsson is about to play for his third NHL organization, and the job interview will take a little longer and the questioning will be under a bright light in the middle of a dark room. There will be the sense that Nilsson has gotten more than he's given, and men whose job relies on making good bets will be hesitant when they view the resume. Still, odds are he'll get a contract from an NHL team.
Later tonight, I'll post something about the new depth chart and have a longer look at the summer shopping list. For now, a hat tip to Ethan rifles for his efforts; staying too long at the fair is something many of us have been guilty of in the past and the aging process is a huge pain in the ass. And for Steve Tambellini, a nudge and a wink. Maybe even a smile and an "I didn't know you had it in ya." That's probably what my Dad would have said to me on a day when I matured a little.
Gotta give some credit to Tambo. Gutsy move. Good luck to the Captain. He did us proud in Edmonton.
ReplyDeletegoodbye and good riddance!
ReplyDeleteWhat happens if no one picks them up on waivers? Do they get bought out then?
ReplyDeleteboopronger: Yeah. They're bought out (as I understand things, this is me driving around all day listening) but if someone picks them up then obviously the Oilers are off the hook.
ReplyDeleteboopronger: There's always a chance the team pulls them back instead of buying them out, but indications are that they are being bought out.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you put that. Moreau stayed too long at the fair. He annoyed me to no end the last couple of seasons but he was a good soldier for most of his time here and I'll leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteTambo has definitely put his stamp on the organization now. IMO, these were the right moves to make. Buying your captain out isn't ideal but there obviously wasn't a lot of interest for him out there and this must have been the last resort.
fuck, you're a good writer LT.
ReplyDeleteWell some greasy turds were shipped out, but now the Oilers have enough cap to try and whale hunt again...
ReplyDeleteHopefully, if they do something big it's more along the lines of Weiss and Vokoun.
Overall, it was a very good day...
ReplyDeleteWhile Tambellini made some major gaffes over his first year, his recent player moves (including Staios) have scored him some brownie points...
i think that, after everything, Moreau had *too much* heart. or something like that. it is difficult to fault someone for that, but it because a serious problem in the last couple of years.
ReplyDeleteto me, Moreau always seemed stuck in '06 G7 SCF, game in and game out. but playing that way in the regular season with a body 4 years older never seemed to work out for him, and he'd keep drawing offensive zone penalties because of his 'intensity'.
maybe if he'd been able to adapt his style of play, or adapt to the culture of young talent coming into the organization, things would have worked out better.
Moreau was a wonderful soldier for the Oil for many years. Injuries and age made him a shadow of his former self the last couple of years and it is good he is gone.
ReplyDeleteI still like Rowbear a lot and think that some day he will be a real NHLer. Man he has made some wonderful passes for goals.
I had high hopes for POS when he came here but those were sure dashed.
LT. look forward to your insights on the roster, in two days the Oil have gone from way too many forwards to what?
i also think Moreau picked up some bad habits from McTavish and Quinn. i think he sometimes saw himself more as a coach than a captain, and would call out the other players based on poor performance.
ReplyDeletei think that's the coach's role, not the captain's. the captain's role is to build unity and i could see why Moreau might not have been terribly successful at that.
his recent player moves (including Staios) have scored him some brownie points...
ReplyDeleteAbout a year too late.
Just after MacT was canned,
I copy-pasted the Oilers salary chart onto a spreadsheet.
Set it up to do some basic math
[sum basic math].
Thought about what was needed - face-offs, smarts without the puck, toughness with the puck, cap relief - then moved names & salaries around.
Conclusion - I liked Staios, but he had to go first. O'Sullivan, Nillson & Moreau had to follow.
It was obvious.
A year of pain later, the Oiler's inaction astutely managed to procure Taylor Hall
Always kind of hard to say goodbye, even when the players may have bugged you a bit. Thanks for the memories, Ethan, you really were great for so long.
ReplyDeleteAnd whenever I play shinny next winter I'll still try to channel O'Sullivan, man that guy could hit posts...
A new day begins.
Well said LT, keep the mob in check..
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean by this is with all the negativity that theexcaptain brought out from the blogging fan base, he was a good soldier for many years..
He deserves recognition for the good, even tho he has to pay the price for the bad...
So glad the oil have shat out the POS.. the last lupul-remnant of that foul CFP trade that Klowe gobbled up.. perhaps the system is finally cleansed of it...
Mr DeBakey: About a year too late.
ReplyDelete....
A year of pain later, the Oiler's inaction astutely managed to procure Taylor Hall
That reads like "right on time" to me. If we made these same decisions at this time last year, we would have been worse off than doing it now.
Granted, his inaction didn't lead to an intentional tank, but it happened and he's done nothing but good things since the trade deadline.
I think it's time to get out of face and cut him some slack.
istrumenal,Niagra
ReplyDeleteI remember being at a really boring game a few years ago against the Hawks.
ReplyDeleteThe Hawks still sucked and the Oilers weren't much better.
Moreau almost single-handedly won the game for the Oilers in a 2-1 snoozer.
He got both goals, and I think a fight as well.
He was the only player on the ice for both teams that seemed interested in the outcome.
That is how I will choose to remember Ethan Moreau.
Not as the totally douche bag who called out his teammates and told them to be more like he and Staios, when those two were some of the least effective players on the team.
Not being self aware is a terrible thing.
Funny thing is that most of the players that he called out deserved it, he was just constantly cashing currency he didn't have to spend.
The majority of his currency had been accumulated before most of the current players were even in junior, so he had none to spend with them.
Sad.
Good job ST.
You have now done a number of good things in a row.
v3.0 seems an upgrade on the previous two.
Steve Tambellini V3.0
Now with less Vish!!!
I remember being at a really boring game a few years ago against the Hawks.
ReplyDeleteThe Hawks still sucked and the Oilers weren't much better.
Moreau almost single-handedly won the game for the Oilers in a 2-1 snoozer.
He got both goals, and I think a fight as well.
He was the only player on the ice for both teams that seemed interested in the outcome.
That is how I will choose to remember Ethan Moreau.
Not as the total douche bag who called out his teammates and told them to be more like he and Staios, when they were two of the least effective players on the team.
Not being self aware is a terrible thing.
Funny thing is that most of the players that he called out deserved it. He was just constantly cashing currency he didn't have.
The majority of his currency had been accumulated before most of the current players were even in junior, so he had none to spend with them.
Sad.
Good job ST.
You have now done a number of good things in a row.
v3.0 seems an upgrade on the previous two.
Steve Tambellini V3.0
Now with less Vish!!!
The todo's to take away from this:
ReplyDeleteGive our young RFA's deals that they can live up to.
Always make sure leadership is adequate .
I think today's moves have as much to do with changing the atmosphere on the team as they do with making cap space this year.
ReplyDeleteIn O'Sullivan and Nilsson we have two guys who have (by my recollection) been publicly criticized by two different coaches for being indifferent or lazy.
In Moreau we have a guy who refused to take any responsibility for the performance of a team that started going downhill when he became captain (not that he can be blamed solely for that). He'd frequently blame the offensive players for not carrying their weight on the powerplay when the major issues with the team stemmed from poor defensive play and penalty killing. There were rumours that he was cold and unwelcoming to the young players and in a way his being bought out might be an indication that the team doesn't want him influencing the next wave of youth.
The moves today come at very little cost but have great potential for benefit. Stuttering Steve is making a mark.
Smarmy Boss said...
ReplyDeleteWell some greasy turds were shipped out, but now the Oilers have enough cap to try and whale hunt again...
Hopefully, if they do something big it's more along the lines of Weiss and Vokoun.
Kovalchuk, anyone?
:-)
When is the development camp being held in Edmonton?
ReplyDeleteSo glad the oil have shat out the POS.. the last lupul-remnant of that foul CFP trade that Klowe gobbled up.. perhaps the system is finally cleansed of it...
ReplyDeleteUhm, what about Eberle? He is part of the return on Pronger.
So, I haven't seen much (any?) discussion on the next captain.
ReplyDeleteTwo seasons ago I would've said Horcoff was a sure bet, last year Souray, but now I have no idea.
Surely we don't want to be like the Leafs without a captain for two years?
Uhm, what about Eberle? He is part of the return on Pronger.
ReplyDeleteSee, my first retort would have been Smid.
So glad the oil have shat out the POS.. the last lupul-remnant of that foul CFP trade that Klowe gobbled up.. perhaps the system is finally cleansed of it...
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, I think all of the "5 Assets" still have a part in the organization:
1) Smid
2) Nash -> Marincin
3) Lupul -> Abney
4) Eberle
5) 2nd -> Rourke + 3rd -> Used for Penner offer sheet
Well, it's a start, LT. Now all we need to do is trade Templeton for Ozzie, and put together a package for Jack Clark.
ReplyDeleteBruce: Lol. Loved watching that team.
ReplyDeleteLT, Alex Tanguay had to wait a good long time for a contract last year, and he is a much better player with a much better track record than either of Nilsson or POS.
ReplyDeleteI think at least one of them is still waiting in October, and hoping somebody he doesn't like gets hurt so he can take their place, wherever that is.
Gutsy move?
ReplyDeleteOnly if you consider taking a dump every morning "gusty."
"Obvious" and "overdue" are the words that came to my mind.
18 supposedly did some great work in the community and that's the only positive anyone can take from his last few years with the Oilers.
ReplyDeleteI wish his salary had been more affordable and he'd aged better both body and mind-wise but I"m glad he's gone because an attitude like that is pure poison.
He needs to go to a team that A: has enough vets that he'll keep his mouth shut or B: a team that's good enough that it won't give him cause to open his mouth in the first place.
I remember when I loved the guy and hated Salo and especially the free ride he'd gotten. After Salo was dealt 18 came out and basically said all the things I'd hoped someone would and the last thing he said was that it was time for Salo to go; it would be only fitting if one of his current teammates said the same thing about him today.
19's a fellow that I can't really figure out and for the ~100 games he played as an Oiler I can't remember when a supposedly offensive-minded player was less productive. Eventually it got to the point where the problems with his head and hands spread to his legs and anytime that happens you need to get out of town.
12's deal is he never truly grasps that his talent will never supercede the need to also work hard. Sure the kid's got some moves but he's not gifted enough that he can ignore everything else and he probably needs a Schremp NYI slot where he doesn't play against anyone, he gets PP time and he doesn't get paid fuckall and then all the warts are easier to dismiss.
Thank you Columbus.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think that the Oilers and Blue Jackets could've saved Ethan some embarrasment by arranging a trade "for future considerations" rather than going through the public "we're about to buy out this bum" process.
Nice blog! I have read some of your posts and really enjoyed reading them. I thank you for sharing and hoping to hear from your updates soon. God Bless!
ReplyDelete